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Continue reading →: Summer, A Time to Digress…Finding myself recently in the Austrian wine country, what could I do but…. Taste some of the local specialties? This is in part the fault of Willi Klinger, I want you to know, who I met in Firenze in May as he conducted a lunch time degustazione of Austrian wines…
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Continue reading →: Looking Good, Bellavista!Oh, the elegance of it! A recent evening at the Rapallo Yacht Club featured the wines of Bellavista, best known for its fabulous Franciacorta. While everyone and their brother seems to know Prosecco, why is Franciacorta Italy’s best-kept bubbly secret? What is in a name? Franciacorta is no ordinary bubbly…
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Continue reading →: La Vie en RoseMy father would tell me I saw the world through rose colored glasses. My response? Dad, this is how some people live, and I am going to be one of those people. What better place to confirm my belief in la Dolce Vita than Ristorante Rosa in my once-and-only home,…
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Continue reading →: The Last SupperAs you’ve gathered, I’m still digesting my experience at the Florence Symposium of the Masters of Wine. The farewell dinner was an appropriate send-off, held at the spectacular Antinori Winery in the Chianti Classico. Designed by architect Marco Casamonti, this stunning state-of-the-art Cantina wowed the crowd. How can I begin to…
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Continue reading →: Simply the Best!I am still digesting last weekend’s Symposium with the Masters of Wine in Florence… It’s an event I may not stop talking about for some time to come… Does anyone know what these are used for? It didn’t take yours truly long to figure it out, but can I say…
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Continue reading →: Talk about terroir…Dinner the first evening in Florence was sponsored by Chianti Classico Gran Selezione and held at the exclusive Palazzo Corsini. The magnificent Renaissance palace (home to a Botticelli and a drawing by Raphael) was an appropriate backdrop. Talk about terroir! The Chianti producers strutted their stuff by…
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Continue reading →: Symposium, The Masters of WineBuongiorno da Firenze! The 450 delegates of the 8th Symposium have convened and Florence is a-buzz. Things started up mid-afternoon Thursday at the Palazzo dei Congressi, and I haven’t had a minute since. The tastings are amazing, the Masters are truly that.So, what are you tasting, you ask! My pick…
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Continue reading →: Let’s Drink Together!The 8th Symposium organized by the Institute of Masters of Wine will be held in Florence, from May 15 – 18. In just a few days, wine connoisseurs will convene in that cradle of the Italian Renaissance for 4 days of conferences, tastings, meeting and greeting. And there will be…
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Continue reading →: Gnocchi al pesto…. Allegro ma non troppo!The marvelous Giorgio Erede, a lawyer-turned-chef and restaurateur, has written an unusual and fun memoir, La musica della mia cucina. Those two Italian passions – food and music – in one original work. Isn’t creativity what it’s all about, Alfie? Erede shares recipes and memories, and gives you the soundtrack…
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Continue reading →: Ever wonder why it’s called Genoa salame?We are concluding a week that included two national holidays: Pasquetta, or Little Easter, on Monday, and the Festa della Liberazione, April 25th on Friday. How will we make it through next week? There’s only one national holiday: Thursday is May 1st, or Labor Day! Here in my neck of…
Suzanne Branciforte
has one foot firmly planted on either continent
is New York born and Harvard educated
is Italian and American and Italian-American
has resided on the Italian Riviera for the past 15 years
has a Masters degree and a Ph.D. from UCLA
is a writer, translator and interpreter
interpreted for the President of the Bundesbank and Nobel Prize winning economists and authors
is the author of the international best-selling textbook Parliamo italiano!
has lived extensively in California, France and Italy
knows that good wine doesn’t grow in ugly places
is convinced that living is your greatest work of art
Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine 